I ran to stand by the rest of the men, who formed a circle around Hana and me.
For some reason, the other men seem intimidated by Thorn. Only Finn approached him. Their chests bumped.
Thorn backed up and raised his arms. “No harm. We saw you in your travels and wondered. Where are you going? You are far from Groos.”
How did he know that was where we came from? Was this the same coreck I met before? If so then he saved me in the maze.
Finn followed him back, right up in his grill. “These are my people, and that is none of your business.”
Thorn stepped back, cocking his head. “Little brother, settle down. We mean you no harm. You keep on this path and you will stumble upon our home. What once was your home, as well, not so long ago.” Baren sucked in a startled breath. The others murmured among themselves.
Thorn continued, “We have no quarrel with you. We are, as I said, curious.”
“We are coming home. Our magic is returning and the E’mani have been attacking our valley. We seek their home, their weakness,” Finn replied.
At the E’mani name, Thorn hissed and arched his back, his hair ruffling like the cat he was inside. “The E’mani, land curse them, are rarely seen nowadays. This explains their absence, but what makes you so special? You cannot even shift...” He looked Finn up and down. “Though you have the potential and I can see you track. Tell me, have you ever studied someone and thought ‘prey’?
Finn shoved him. Thorn flew backward and twisted mid-air to land on his feet. Finn pointed at him with his blade.
Thorn snorted. “Are you going to poke me with your big knife there, Finn?”
“How do you know my name?”
“We have people who can hear the wind too, and she wasn’t specific in her call.” Thorn glanced at me then flicked his eyes back to Finn, maintaining eye contact. Finn kept glancing down, then back up at Thorn with a clenched jaw like he couldn’t help but drop his gaze. I’d never seen Finn back down before.
“Oh, you are a strong one, Finn, very good. This will be fun,” Thorn muttered.
They circled each other.
Shuffle, slide, step.
Their movements were hypnotizing and quick. I could barely track them. Why the hell were they fighting, anyway? Baren and Near moved to help. All the other men stayed in place around Hana and me.
Finn screamed, “Stay out of this. This battle is mine.”
“Yes, yes. No helping.” A blood-thirsty grin lit Thorn’s face. “This is just play.”
They fought in a blur of blows. Finn got first blood, scoring a strike to Thorn’s arm after a quick block.
Thorn’s free-moving willie distracted me, so I didn’t see his arm come around. He got a clean cut across Finn’s cheek, but with what weapon? He was unarmed. Then I examined his hands. His fingers were tipped with claws. A crimson drop shone on one of his nails.
My breath caught.
Finn.
Maybe this dude was more of a threat than I thought. I gathered power just in case.
As if sensing my magic, Finn shook his head at me and tossed back his hair. He stepped back and wiped the blood away with the back of his hand. His smile turned sharp. “Very good.”
Thorn preened. “I am good.” He gave me what I assumed was his come-hither glance. Crouched as he was in his birthday suit, the look made me giggle. He winked at my laughter. “Hello.”
Finn growled and launched himself at him.
Thorn danced backward, avoiding every flash of the blade. Slash, dodge. Dodge, slash. On it went, until Finn changed tactics. He stopped and watched Thorn dart around him like Marin had at our mating ceremony.
“Oh, what is this, little brother, giving up?” Thorn taunted.
“No, letting you come to me.”
Thorn tilted his head. “Is that a challenge?”
“Yes.”
Thorn dropped his chin and all levity in the air drained way as if a switch had been pulled. “Accepted.”
His arm flashed toward Finn’s face. Finn bent left, his legs rooted in place. His eyes followed Thorn’s every move. Thorn sliced again testing Finn’s resolve. Finn stayed in place, unafraid. Emboldened, Thorn twirled behind Finn who lifted a leg and booted him hard to the face. Boo yah.
Thorn staggered and fell to his knees, shaking his head.
“You all right? Ready for more. Get up now, little oreck.” The tone in Finn’s voice had changed. And I realized his intentions had changed. This was dominance. Corecks killed his father. And now a coreck stood before him, taunting him and flirting with me.
I reached out a hand to Finn. “Stop.”
Finn peered at me with that sly grin of his. “I am not quite done yet, Beta.”
“Well, don’t kill him.”
Thorn laughed. “Look, she cares.”
I glared at him. “I care about Finn.” He was my friend, damn it.
Finn’s fake grin slid into more of a smile just for me. My heart beat once hard and my gaze dropped. Oh boy, I could practically feel Zanth’s gaze peeling the skin off my back. I didn’t mean it that way.
The combatants nodded to each other. Finn charged Thorn again. They grappled for the knife. Thorn was a wee bit stronger and forced Finn’s hand down. But Finn was bigger. He leaned and plowed his shoulder into Thorn’s stomach then straightened, holding his legs. Thorn went flying backward to land on the ground, dazed.
In a flash, Finn had the knife to Thorn’s throat. Thorn laughed and sprang up quick, shuffled back, and threw out his arms with a flourish. “Such fun. Not an easy fight.”
Finn hit him with an uppercut that knocked him off his feet. Thorn retaliated with three hard strikes to Finn’s knee and then a quick jab to his kidney, knocking Finn to the ground this time. He held out his hand and his claws sharpened. He held a nail to Finn’s throat. Oh, hell no. My power coiled inside me.
Thorn moved his hand toward Finn. I pressed back with the wind. Thorn’s eyebrows creased and he looked up. “Oh, pretty. I am just playing. I will not hurt your little play thing.”
“No, you won’t,” I said.
I held my breath as Finn snarled, unmoving under this claw.
“He needs to submit, and this game will be done. Submit, little brother.” Thorn said, pressing closer.
Finn growled low and stood, letting the claw cut his throat, a small trickle of blood streamed down his neck. Finn stood eye to eye with Thorn. This time, Thorn had difficulty meeting Finn’s gaze. “I will Not. Submit. To Anyone.”
Thorn made a show of lifting his hands up. “Like I said. We are not your enemy. We are just nosy. We could escort you to our camp. You are almost there, a day’s journey. You must be hungry,” he wheedled. “We have been hunting this area pretty heavily, so I doubt you have gotten any game.”
Finn shrugged off my help. “Leave and we will discuss it.”
Thorn winked at me. “I will talk to you soon.” Then, with an honest to god flourish, he changed to his cat form and ran off into the woods.
I went and sagged onto a rock, Hana next to me.
On cue she leaned over. “He was cute.” I giggled and shushed her. Finn glared at us as we huddled closer. I pointed right at Hana and mouthed, “her.” Finn rolled his eyes.
“He had to have been following us for a while now.” Near tapped his chin. “We have all felt it to some extent. They could have attacked us, if they meant us harm. This is what we wanted, right, to reestablish contact with any Fost here, and find our home. Explore the area. Find Beta her lab.”
Zanth nodded.
Jace added, “They also cleared the trail of game and possible threat.”
“I am hungry,” Edd said while tucking Hana into his side. “I say we go meet some of our own people.”
“We do not know anything about them, their numbers, or their situation. I do not trust them.” Finn paced, bleeding from a cut along his side.
“We came looking for them. And we need to find the lab. They can give us shel
ter. I say go for it.” I rubbed my feet, resting back. “I, for one, am tired.”
Finn frowned at me. “I do not like you flirting with that cat, Thorn.”
“I was the flirtee, not the flirter.” I sat up straight and glared at him.
Finn snorted and crossed his arms. “What does that mean?”
“He flirted with me, not the other way around. My heart is full,” I said, my words trailing off.
Finn opened his mouth then closed it with a snap. I could almost hear his unsaid, “Who?”
Damn you, Marin.
“We met up with the Fost here. Hurry.” The lack of detail would drive him nuts. A smile spread across my face at the thought of his reaction. I waited, hoping for his voice. A minute passed and no response. My smile faded.
Twenty Two
The crew argued for a bit but we were all tired and hungry and the lure of shelter was too great. We gathered our belongings and resumed our trudge. The path widened into a dirt path surrounded by long brown grass and the occasional red starred tree. Some flowers bloomed nearby perfuming the air with the scent of lilies.
We turned a corner, and Thorn in all his feline glory lay on his back, legs up, head hanging backward over the edge of a branch looking at us upside down. George growled and ran toward him. Thorn scrambled up and climbed higher to avoid the baby coreck until I took pity on him and grabbed the little devil.
Finn approached. “Take us there.”
Thorn jumped up and snuffed at his feet. With a sneeze, he turned and started to run. We followed after him. Thorn slowed down near the top of the third hill and on the down slope there were no more mountains in view.
Industry was not what I expected. When Ute first described it to me he mentioned lush farmlands, thick old wood forests and fertile land as far as the eyes could see.
The Industry I saw was none of that.
The E’mani had been doing some mining themselves. The ground was torn up and rocky. There was no green grass, no fertile wood. There was only dust and rock in sheets, in hills, and valleys. We’d gone from the mountains and hilly grassland to this. Strip mines as far as the eyes could see. It was worse than the quarry filled with rocks, this had once been a growing place full of life.
Finn keened and fell to his knees. He stretched out his hands along the dirt. I could hear him murmuring to the land. Near staggered and sat as well. Edd stood silently taking stock. Jace and Hana sagged into each other.
“It is all gone,” Giggy whispered.
Zanth said, his voice flat, “Enough. We expected this, and we need to find shelter.” He glanced at the sky above us. The second sun drifted in front of the first, casting a shadow, highlighting the gray clouds brewing.
Thorn watched our reactions with his keen kitty eyes. He yowled and got our attention.
I hadn’t realized it, but I’d fallen in the dirt, running my hands through it, trying to feel the earth. There was a distant echo, a flutter in my belly. The land murmured to me of terror and pain. But it was still holding on. Strength entered my body, the fatigue in my muscles waned.
The journey through the mountains had taken its toll, but we survived. I was fiercely glad we came when we did. I could feel the land’s life flickering underneath my palm. My fingers trailed along the soil. I needed to come now; the land did not have much more time.
We trekked to the Thorn’s home. I made Finn leave markers along the way as we veered off the path where we had left the others. I knew Marin would come. He couldn’t leave right after us. He had to take care of the clan, but he would not be far behind, a few weeks at most. Then we would have it out. Not talk to me, would he?
Darkness settled upon the land by the time we reached Thorn’s settlement. It was located near the bottom of one of those strip mines. It made sense. If they were hiding, the E’mani wouldn’t think to find them near their own structures. The path down was steep and treacherous with gravel in the dark. Giggy fell but his sheer size prevented significant injury. For a big guy, he had the grace of a gazelle.
Ledges of rock protected the village from view. Cabins spread out in neat lines, a single dirt road down the middle. I remember thinking Groos a bit bleak when I first saw it but this was much worse. There were blue lanterns located on each of the houses. No breeze reached the bottom. The air smelled stagnant with sweat.
Thorn moved in front of us and changed. The fur receded and his face stretched. I shuddered. It was just as disconcerting the second time. All his limbs cracked and popped, skin flowed, and he was naked as a blue jay once more. I wondered if it hurt to change shape.
“Welcome home.” Thorn held out his arms in a grand sweeping gesture and tipped his non-existent hat. He pointed to a large cabin at the end. “You will bunk on the floor there. The cabin is empty. No need for a watch. We are always on guard. You will meet the rest of us in the morning.”
There wasn’t much talk while we settled in. I chose a corner with my back to the wall near the door just in case I had to pee in the middle of the night. I hated being in the middle, Finn placed his gear out in front of the door itself and Zanth squatted near me. The room quieted quickly, at least until Near started snoring like a chainsaw. It was kind of soothing by now.
~ * ~
A door slamming woke me. I arched my back, turning onto my side. Looked like no one else was awake except for Finn, who leaned against the door, knees bent, watching me. Zanth snuffled and rolled over. Hana spooned between Jace and Edd. Finn blew me a kiss and patted the floor next to him.
I dodged sleeping bodies to settle against the wall on his left next to the doorway.
He pressed his mouth to my ear. “The town is stirring. They are letting us rest for now. Not everyone is happy we are here.”
“Of course they aren’t.”
“Do you know what you are looking for yet?”
“No, and I didn’t dream. We are close. This feels right.”
I felt the knock against my back before it sounded in the room. Finn and I scrambled up and stepped outside to answer.
Thorn stood, dressed today, at the door with two others. One was an older man with several scars and burns, covering his face and shoulders. The other was an attractive female with long black hair in a thick braid, and tight leathers. I couldn’t resist seeing if Finn noticed the woman. His gaze remained on me. He smiled and his hand came to rest on my shoulders.
Thorn started talking first. “Let me introduce Yann.” He indicated the older male. “And his daughter, Zara.” She smiled and inclined her head. “You two, come to the town center. You can meet everyone else. For now, let the others rest.”
Zara immediately slid up beside Finn and pressed into his side, batting her eyelashes. Finn moved closer to my side, but the girl didn’t get it. Surprised she didn’t get dizzy with all that fluttering.
Thorn slashed her an irritated glance, then copied her actions and sidled up next to me. “So you and him?” He inclined his head to Finn. I shook my head no. “So you and me?” he added with a wink.
“I am mated.” I lifted my sleeve to show off my mating band. “He is on his way.”
“For someone who is mated, you seem awfully close to little brother other there.”
A flush stole over me. I bumped Thorn with my shoulder. “Not your business,” I said then hesitated. “Can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he said.
“Have we met before?”
Thorn grinned. “I have always wondered about my people. And my father was the town leader until his recent passing.”
I brushed my hand along the back of his. “I am sorry to hear of his passing.”
Thorn smiled and squeezed my hand. “Me as well, but it was his time. Before he passed though, I had more freedom to explore. I loved those gardens in Groos. I saw you following the girl, and I saw the E’mani waiting behind her. I wanted to stop you.” He shrugged.
His actions saved my life. “Thank you.”
Thorn smiled at me and put
his arm around my shoulder. I gave his hand the beady eye and raised my brow.
He grinned and squeezed the stuffing out of me before letting me go.
The town center wasn’t far. The area was like an open-air amphitheater. A large central stage dominated the area, surrounded by benches. There were cats draped in various poses across every surface. Thorn chuffed and they all shifted. It hurt to hear Thorn shift. Hearing fifty people shifting set the room rocking. There were groans and grunts and cracking. Once changed, they all stared as one at me and Finn. Creepy. I noticed something else as well. Their eyes always changed. They weren’t the same in the different forms. I wonder how aware they were when they were cats. I would have to remember to ask.
Thorn strode forward. “Our kindred are returning from the mountains. They state a desire to fight the E’mani. Welcome them.”
“About time,” growled an older woman with salt and pepper hair and bright purple streaks who stepped from the crowd.
There were murmurs from around us, but no other comments. Her name was Kyna and that was the only welcome we would get. When the Fost fled to the mountains, many were left behind, whether too slow or too stubborn to leave. Entire clans lost. Of those left, one of the strongest clans resided here. Their claim to fame was their water and air magic, shape-shifters and fierce fighters all. Their hatred for the E’mani eclipsed even my own. They’d been fighting non-stop waiting for their people’s return. Pretty sure we were a huge disappointment.
Only a few ventured to talk to us. The rest returned to their various duties and chores. The most eager to greet the new arrivals were the single. The clan had small numbers, and by now, everyone was related to everyone else. Thus Thorn’s eager greeting. It wasn’t just the women being eyed. The attractive female from earlier remained glued to Finn’s side, practically wriggling in joy to be near him. Maybe I was just being catty but when she leaned her breast on his arm, I had to battle to control my urge to slap her. And I knew it wasn’t my place.
Can't Forget: If she can't forget her past, she won't have a future. (Solum Series Book 2) Page 16
